Work Text:
Taehyung feels it. The uncomfortable shift in the air, like something bad’s about to happen. It has the hair on his arms standing on end and the back of his shirt sticking to his spine from the clammy sweat.
Fear swirls in his stomach, tightening his gut into a knot and fingers shaking as he butters the bread for his grilled cheese.
“Why aren’t you answering my calls?” a familiar twisted snarl demands from behind him.
Taehyung sighs.
His ex-demon-with-benefits really hasn’t been taking the breakup well.
“Because,” Taehyung sniffs, checking the heat of the pan. It’s not hot enough , he thinks, and almost immediately the flames of the stove flare up and the oil in the pan starts to sizzle. Frowning, he looks over his shoulder and points his butter knife towards the giant smoking silhouette looming a few feet away. “Cut that out. No peeking into my head,” he warns, stern.
Jeongguk folds his arms over his chest with a huff, leaning back against the refrigerator. Something clatters inside, no doubt broken. He didn’t think he had to reinforce the eggs and orange juice anymore. “Maybe I wouldn’t have to look if you just talked to me. ” He looks a little ridiculous propped up against Taehyung’s retro fridge-freezer, tipping it back towards the wall in a way that’s marked the paint too many times before. He’s glad he hasn’t got around to fixing that yet.
Sighing, Taehyung turns back to his late-night snack and trades his knife for a spatula as he lays the sandwich in the pan. “There’s nothing left to talk about.”
“Like hell there isn’t!” Jeongguk’s voice is like nails on a chalkboard and it makes Taehyung’s ears ring. “I’m not happy with this arrangement.”
“You mean the arrangement where we’re no longer fucking?”
“Yes.”
Lips pressing into a tight line, Taehyung squashes his grilled cheese down with the spatula. “I’m sure you’ve had no problems finding other people to fuck,” he grumbles, a little bitter. “Why does it matter?”
“It matters because I want you. I just don’t understand. I thought things were good between us.”
Taehyung’s eyebrows raise at that, slowly looking back at Jeongguk. “Oh, you mean when you started ghosting me? Rejecting my calls and avoiding me like I was fucking holy water? Yeah, they were so good between us. I know you were off hooking up with other humans.”
“They were deals, Taehyung! It was purely work, you know that,” Jeongguk tries to defend, big claws tearing through the air as he gestures wildly. “What do you expect me to do?!”
“I think a simple handshake would have sufficed!” Taehyung argues back. “Don’t give me that excuse. I know you were getting freaked out about us, anyway. Jimin told me.”
“Jimin?!” Jeongguk roars, shaking the whole room. The vase on Taehyung’s kitchen table shatters. “You’re listening to that bone eater?!”
His poor flowers thought they were free of this torture, too.
“Yep. He said that you were looking for a way out because I was apparently breaking the FWB code,” Taehyung mocks, distorting his words childishly. “God forbid I clear out a drawer for you!”
Jeongguk’s imposing figure looks awkward in Taehyung’s kitchen, his smoldering skin burning brighter and hollow eyes flaring with literal flames.
A demon doesn’t suit the sunflower themed wallpaper of Taehyung’s vintage style kitchen.
Hellion and chic don’t mix. He’ll pass that along to the Queer Eye guys.
“I was spooked, okay!” Jeongguk argues, form growing in his anger. His large horns scratch at the ceiling and Taehyung’s blood boils.
“The paintwork, Jeongguk! How many times!”
Shrinking back down, Jeongguk doesn’t break stride. “I’d never been given a drawer! A sacrificial virgin, sure! A village? Absolutely! But not a drawer. Fuck buddies don’t usually give each other drawers. ”
Taehyung scoffs. “Well, so-rry for thinking it was a nice gesture! You were here all the fucking time anyway!” He can smell his sandwich burning behind him, but he’s too heated to really pay attention to it. “It wasn’t like I’d given you my fucking soul or a goddamn wedding ring. It was a space for you to put your shit.”
“ I was scared, ” Jeongguk shoots back, emphasising each word as if Taehyung couldn’t understand him. “Some buddies of mine got into my head and told me you were trying to wife me up! You know how scary that was to hear?”
Taehyung rolls his eyes. “Oh, please. Take some responsibility for your own actions. You’re the one who fell off the fucking map.” His eyes narrow, sizing Jeongguk up. “You’re a pussy.”
Jeongguk’s jaw drops, offended. “Pussy!? You’re calling me a pussy?”
“That’s right. Pussy,” Taehyung repeats immediately. “I’ve taken your dumb hellion cock and you couldn’t even take a drawer.”
“It was what the drawer represented! I wasn’t ready for that step!”
“What, the step to put a fucking t-shirt in?! Should I have just given you a garbage bag?!”
“You know that’s not what I mean! I thought you were trying to tie me down!”
“Tie you down? Jesus.” Taehyung feels the tinge of hurt creep in alongside the anger, finally turning back towards his sandwich with a quiet scoff. He takes the pan off the heat and dumps the whole thing in the sink, the bread incinerated. “Good thing we’re not fucking around anymore then, isn’t it? Now you can do whatever you want again without worrying about me trying to tie you down .”
“Baby,” Jeongguk sighs. “Don’t do that.”
“I’m not your baby, bitch,” Taehyung snaps, twisting to face Jeongguk once more, glaring up at him. He refuses to let himself get upset about this all over again. “What are you doing here, Jeongguk? You can’t just come here whenever you want anymore. I’m trying to move on and get on with life.”
Jeongguk’s features which had previously softened shift back into a grimace. “No.”
“No what?”
“No, you’re not allowed to do that.”
“Do what .”
“Move on.”
Taehyung scoffs, blinking incredulously up at the walking piece of coal. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” he demands. “You know what. Save your breath. I already know. Well, you know what? I am moving on. And I’m gonna find me someone else to fuck. Yeah. Someone who will take a whole fucking closet!” he spits.
Jeongguk blazes so bright that he lights up Taehyung’s whole kitchen, the orange beneath his skin slowly turning blue as he quite literally boils. “Then I’ll kill them. And I’ll eat them. In front of you.”
Taehyung tongues the inside of his cheek. “You wouldn’t,” he says confidently.
Smirking, Jeongguk exposes rows and rows of razor-sharp teeth. “And why’s that?”
“Because the last human you ate went right to your ass. Remember?”
Jeongguk loses his smile, the fire inside him dimming briefly as he clearly contemplates that. But it quickly flares right back up like a bonfire, flames rising off his skin in a bright white. “Then I’ll just kill them!” He chuckles, low and menacing as Taehyung reaches under the sink. “I’ll start by peeling off their skin, slow and deliberate, just to hear them scream. Then, when they’re begging for death, I’ll pull each and every—”
Taehyung douses Jeongguk with the fire extinguisher, cutting his ramblings short. It’s silent in the kitchen as Taehyung unloads on him, filling the room in white plumes until the bright light is dimmed.
As the smoke slowly starts to clear, Jeongguk stands there frozen, covered in white powder and hand raised in the air as if cupping an invisible skull like a demonic Hamlet.
Taehyung sniffs, leaning back against the counter, and holds the fire extinguisher limp at his side.
“I thought you got rid of that,” Jeongguk husks quietly, forlorn.
Fanning the air in front of him, Taehyung squints. “You were saying?”
Jeongguk drops his arms, looking like a powdered cinder. He blows some white off his shoulder. “Just about the mass death and destruction on all those you try and—”
Taehyung hits him with the extinguisher again, noise drowning him out.
Jeongguk coughs out a cloud of powder.
“What was that?”
“...nothing.”
Setting the extinguisher on the counter, Taehyung sighs. “You should leave,” he insists, stepping out of his kitchen to look for the dustpan and brush.
“But we haven’t finished talking.”
“Yes. We have. I have nothing more to say to you tonight. You’ve ruined my dinner and made a mess of my kitchen. Again. So, kindly get the fuck out.”
Jeongguk suddenly appears in front of him as Taehyung walks to the foyer, big hands lifting to cup Taehyung’s face between them. “I miss you, little one.”
Taehyung hates that he could easily fall for that charm. Jeongguk’s voice soft and his touch gentle. Even the way he looks down at him is tender, despite there being nothing remotely tender about the demon. “Don’t call me that,” he grumbles, but it’s weak. He turns his head away, but Jeongguk just moves it right back.
“You are my little one,” Jeongguk rumbles quietly, brushing his thumb along Taehyung’s cheekbone and with an annoyed sniffle, Taehyung leans into the touch, squishing his cheek into Jeongguk’s warm hand. “Don’t you think we should put this behind us? This has been one long, unnecessary fight. I know you’ve been stressed lately from work and...”
Taehyung pauses where he was starting to nuzzle into Jeongguk’s palm, eyes going hard. His gaze flickers up to him and his jaw sets “And... what. ”
“And I’m willing to let bygones be bygones.” Jeongguk knocks a gentle fist against his chin and Taehyung half expects him to follow it up with an okay, sport? or a sound good, champ?
“So. What you’re saying is...” Taehyung starts, reaching up to curl his hands around the sides of Jeongguk’s wrists, pulling his hands away from his face. His nails dig into his tough skin. “That you’re willing to... forgive me?”
Jeongguk grins, nodding. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. I just think we— what are you doing? Hehe. That tickles.”
Taehyung punches at Jeongguk’s stomach, using it as a speed bag, and only stops when Jeongguk giggles, belly caving.
“Stop, that really does tickle.”
Panting, Taehyung brushes his hair out of his eyes roughly and shoves at Jeongguk, which only serves to push himself back. “You’re a dumb spawn!”
“Hey now. That’s actually a little offensive.”
“You don’t have any forgiving credits to cash in, bozo,” Taehyung snaps over him, pointing fingers. “ You’re the one who fucked up, Jeongguk. Not me. You’re the one who started to ghost me, who went and started hooking up with all these other people—”
“—again, those were deals, but okay—”
“Oh, bullshit! We both know crossroad deals are a little below your pay grade, ‘Bringer of Death’,” Taehyung snaps. “You’re the one who did this!” Taehyung’s steaming once again, feeling like his skin could erupt into flames, too, but alas. “I—!” He stops himself right there and bites down on his tongue. He doesn’t want to divulge something he’ll regret. What’s the point? Jeongguk’s made it very clear how he feels and Taehyung’s not about to put himself out there just to get hurt again. He brushes Jeongguk off, avoiding eye contact. “Leave.”
Jeongguk’s brows furrow, reaching for Taehyung again, but he steps away from his claws.
“Get out. You’re stinking up the place, sulphur ass,” he adds the last part childishly, walking around Jeongguk to continue to the foyer. It’s not true, Jeongguk always smells quite lovely, actually. You wouldn’t think so considering he looks like a walking car fire, but he smells nice.
He hates it.
When he returns a few moments later, armed with his dustpan and brush—fully ready to beat the demon with it if he has to—but Jeongguk is gone and so is the mess in the kitchen. The only thing left behind is a plate of steaming grilled cheese on the counter, looking like something straight from a food magazine.
A few hours later, Gordon Ramsey posts a tweet about his asiago cheese and kimchi grilled cheese disappearing into thin air.
Wasn’t the best flavour combination in Taehyung’s boxed-mac-and-cheese culinary expertise, anyway, Gord.
-- -- --
Jeongguk first saw Taehyung in a park in Seoul. Taehyung had been protesting the destruction of one of the largest and oldest trees in the park. Apparently it was to be torn down to make room for a monument of some old politician. Taehyung had been there, trying to get signatures on his petition, to get people to try and understand the meaning of the tree and why it was an important landmark to their city. Fiery and passionate, Jeongguk was immediately drawn to his power and distracted from the checkup he was having with a client of his. Checking the ticker on his soul or something, Jeongguk can’t really remember - he was completely captivated by Taehyung in that moment.
So after a quick, dismissive chat to the meat-sack, Jeongguk made his way over, dressed in his human disguise. Humans often weren’t comfortable with his true form. He thinks it might be the horns, he’s still not entirely sure.
“Hello,” he greeted. “What are you doing?”
Taehyung had blinked at him, surprised. His cheeks had flushed as he handed Jeongguk a flyer. “Protesting.”
Jeongguk remembers the flyer very clearly. He still has it tucked into the mirror of his vanity in his room, along with a polaroid picture of Taehyung. “And what exactly is so special about this tree?” he asked, gesturing to the large oak behind Taehyung.
“It’s older than both of us,” Taehyung had immediately shot back. It absolutely wasn’t true, but Jeongguk wanted to hear him out. “Than our great-grandparents. It’s not fair for it to be killed for the sake of a useless statue. This tree is living and breathing. That statue is rock.”
Jeongguk smiled, endeared. “And you feel very strongly about this tree.”
The look Taehyung had fixed him was sharp, set in his way. “Yes. I do. Are you going to sign?”
“Pen?” It’s not very often that Jeongguk is the one signing his name on the dotted line. It had been quite amusing. Lucky Taehyung wasn’t a demon, he remembers thinking. Sure he could have people queuing up to sign their souls away to him, just for the chance to be in his presence. “Mind if I stay and watch?” he’d asked once he handed back the pen and petition.
“Watch what?” Taehyung ran a thumb over Jeongguk’s signature without looking.
“Watch you protest. It’s interesting to me.”
Taehyung blinked. “Um. Okay. Do you… want to hand out the flyers?”
“Sure,” Jeongguk agreed and proceeded to stand there right beside the little human. People didn’t seem to be interested, choosing to ignore Taehyung as if he weren’t even there.
But Taehyung didn’t give up and didn’t look like he had any plans on it, either.
“Are you sure you don’t mind this?” Taehyung asked him a little while later. They’d only gotten one additional signature in. Jeongguk’s pretty sure the guy didn’t even know what he was signing. “This can’t be very fun for you.”
“I’m enjoying myself just fine, don’t mind me.”
But after a while, Jeongguk had started to get a little impatient. Not with Taehyung, but with the humans refusing to even hear him out.
So. Jeongguk might have intervened a little.
Any time anyone got close enough, Jeongguk would loom tall behind Taehyung, baring venom covered teeth, forked tongue lolling out and like magic, people started signing and signing.
“Wow! We’ve already got a hundred signatures!” Taehyung told him after an hour, showing Jeongguk the board.
“People must really wanna help,” Jeongguk returned. “I’m almost out of flyers too.”
Taehyung had bitten his lip, looking all pretty and stared at him from under his thick lashes. “Do you wanna maybe grab a warm drink? It’s getting a little chilly.”
“I’d love to.”
And while Taehyung had been very sweet—bought Jeongguk a hot chocolate and shyly knocked their feet together under the table—he also dragged Jeongguk to the men’s room and dropped to his knees for him right then and there, sucking his cock down with a sweet moan that had Jeongguk seeing fire.
They’d pretty much been inseparable ever since.
When Jeongguk had told Taehyung what he really was, showed him to be more specific, Taehyung… took it a lot better than he expected him to.
Then any human should have, really.
...maybe a little worrying.
“You’re a demon,” Taehyung repeated, the pair of them laying naked in Taehyung’s bed. “For real.”
“For real, yes.”
So Jeongguk had transformed on the spot, doubling and then tripling in size and dwarfing Taehyung’s king-size bed.
Taehyung, sat up against the edge, just stared up at him, eyes wide and jaw slack. “This… This is what you actually look like?”
“Well. I’m actually a lot bigger than this in reality, but on Earth, this is about the right scale.”
“You’re even bigger?” Jeongguk remembers how Taehyung squirmed.
“Yes. But Hell is far times larger than Earth. Nothing is as small as you in Hell. You’re so little.”
Taehyung continued to simply stare, eyeing his smoldering grey skin. “Can I… touch you? Will it burn me?”
“You can touch,” Jeongguk had assured and slowly, Taehyung had reached out and gently stroked his arm. “You’re taking this well.”
Taehyung hadn’t said anything for a minute, just continued to touch, hand sliding up Jeongguk’s shoulder, over his chest and up to his face. “You’re still you, aren’t you?”
Jeongguk smiled a little. “Yes, I’m still me.”
“Then that’s all that matters. Plus…” Taehyung swallowed, hand stroking down over Jeongguk’s pecs. “It’s… hm.”
“What?”
“It’s kinda sexy?” Taehyung pulled a face. “That’s weird, isn’t it? For me to find this attractive.”
“You’re asking me if it’s wrong for you to find me attractive. Not sure what answer you’re looking for here, Taehyung.”
Shaking his head, Taehyung shifted up onto his knees. “Just, you know… I.”
Smirking, Jeongguk curled a big hand around Taehyung’s thigh, encompassing it completely. He remembers how Taehyung’s breath shook. “You’re turned on.”
“I mean… yeah!” Taehyung squeaked, resting his hand over the back of Jeongguk’s. “You know I’m kinda into that monster porn shit. Not! N-Not that I’m saying you’re a monster, baby, I’m not.”
“Kinda are. And I kinda am.”
“Shut up. Just that, you don’t. Look human now. And this is who you really are. I like it.”
He proceeded to slide onto Jeongguk’s lap, or more so his belly and despite claiming to be horny, he curled up on Jeongguk’s chest and fell asleep, waking up from a deep nap hours later to tell him it was the best sleep he’d ever had.
Jeongguk had felt so relieved. He’d imagined the worst-case scenario, but he also told Taehyung for a reason. He felt the time was right, that he could handle it. And he was right.
“You really fucked up,” Jimin says suddenly, bringing him back from his trip down memory lane.
Jeongguk looks up from his coffee. He hates the stuff, he doesn’t know why he keeps trying to force himself to drink it. “What?”
“You. You fucked up. With Taehyung.” Jimin sips his own coffee and Jeongguk remembers why he keeps trying to force himself to like it.
If Jimin can handle it, so can he.
Jeongguk’s been spending a lot more time on Earth lately. Not that he particularly likes the place, but since Taehyung ended things, he’s… maybe started getting into some light stalking. Nothing wrong with that. He’s a demon, it’s no big deal. There are worse things he could be doing.
“Yeah, all thanks to you,” Jeongguk shoots back, adding his sixth sugar packet to the bitter drink. “You’re the one who went and told him I was getting cold feet.”
“Because you were! Poor guy was constantly asking me if I’d seen you, why you weren’t answering your phone and if I had a fucking address to reach you at. Kid quite literally was willing to go to Hell for you.”
Jeongguk sags back in his seat, the paper sugar packet in his hand catching fire, but he quickly puts it out in his fist.
“He didn’t deserve to just be left in the dark,” Jimin sniffs.
“I know that,” Jeongguk grits out. “I was planning on talking to him eventually.”
“Talking to him about what? He gave you what you wanted and ended things, anyway. He did the hard part. I don’t know why you’re so salty.”
“I am not salty. And besides. I didn’t… want to end things.”
Jimin blinks. “But yet you stopped talking to him.”
“I don’t know what I wanted, alright? I freaked out. We’ve been over this, I don’t want to go over it again.”
“Then you need to leave him alone,” Jimin tells him, his small fingers curled around his cup. He really doesn’t look menacing at all in this form.
Jeongguk’s frown deepens. “No. He’s mine.”
“Don’t be a possessive asshole.”
“I am a possessive asshole and Taehyung’s mine,” Jeongguk says simply. “Interfere and I’ll quite literally eat your face.”
Jimin just tuts, not phased by the very real threat.
“Where is all this coming from, anyway? I didn’t tell you any of this.”
“Taehyung did.”
Jeongguk blinks. “Why are you hanging out with him. He’s mine. It’s weird.”
“It’s not weird,” Jimin shrugs, taking another sip of bitter bean water. “We’re friends. Without the fucking.”
“Oh, so he talks to you but not me.” Jeongguk scoffs, folding his arms over his chest and glaring down at the pumpkin spiced pancakes Jimin ordered him. He’s not pouting. He’s not. “Why are we even here, anyway.”
Jimin looks around. He brought him to this shit hole of a diner that smells like armpit sweat and burnt eggs. There are tacky Halloween decorations hung up everywhere and even the napkins have cartoon jack-o-lanterns on them. “I like it. Reminds me of home.”
Jeongguk can see that.
“And he talks to me because I didn’t break his heart.”
Scoffing, Jeongguk bares his teeth. “I didn’t break his heart. You’re being dramatic.”
Jimin opens his mouth to say something but quickly shuts it again.
Jeongguk glares down at his tiger print shirt. Without Taehyung to buy him clothes, he’s been winging it. He quite likes the style he’s found. Animal print is fun. But when Taehyung’s not there to call him cute, is it even worth it?
No. The answer is no.
“I miss him. I miss my little one,” he growls, absolutely pouting.
“That’s too bad ‘cause I don’t think he misses you. He told me he’s planning on going to this party tonight and hooking up with the first guy he sees,” Jimin exposes, looking suspicious, but Jeongguk can’t focus on that right now.
“He said what .” He’s reminded of what Taehyung said in his kitchen, how he said he was going to find some guy and buy him a whole wardrobe and he fumes. His shirt starts to smoke as it fries against his skin and his eyeballs threaten to physically melt in his skull.
“Dude. Your demon is showing,” Jimin mumbles, checking in on the other customers. “Being really uncool right now.”
Jeongguk’s hair is three seconds from catching on fire. Outside, the ground cracks down the middle of the road and a car threatens to fall in.
Jimin watches passively from the window.
“Where’s this party?” Jeongguk demands, running his hands over his head and feels a clump of hair fall out to make space for a horn he pushes back down.
“I’m not gonna tell you that.”
“Tell me now!”
“Or what?” Jimin goads. “What are you gonna do?”
“I’ll—” Jeongguk blinks, chest heaving before his bottom lip starts trembling. “I’ll cry.”
“Good god, man. Pull yourself together. Most bipolar demon to ever exist.” Jimin shakes his head in utter disbelief. “Fine,” he sighs. Twisting his hand, a slip of paper appears between two fingers, which he slides over the table to Jeongguk. “There’s the address.”
Sniffling, Jeongguk snatches up the paper and reads the address. He doesn’t recognise it, which has him scowling. “Who’s house is this?”
“I don’t know, some guy he met at work invited him.”
Crunching the paper in his hand, Jeongguk stands. “Let’s go.”
“I haven’t finished my waffles!”
“Take them to go!”
“You can do that?”
“Yes! It’s called a doggy bag or something. Taehyung told me.”
“A doggy bag? Do you get a dog with it?”
“Uh, no, I don’t think so. I think it’s just— Jesus— Jimin.”
“Fine! We’re leaving.”
“ Thank you.”
“... wanted to eat my waffles, though.”
“I will eat your fucking corpse if you don’t move your ass. Let’s go.”
-- -- --
Taehyung definitely feels a little awkward. While he may be a social butterfly by nature, coming to a party on his own still feels a little uncomfortable. Especially when he doesn’t know anyone there aside from the guy who invited him.
But life is all about new opportunities, right? It might be the best night of his life. He just has to be willing to take that risk for it.
Plus, he’s on a mission to find a cute boy to smooch.
His initial goal was a cute boy to bed, but he might be pushing the boundaries there. He doesn’t know if he’s ready for that. Jeongguk’s on his mind far too much these days.
Especially with the stream of texts he receives 24/7
from: 666
Taehyung hi it’s me.
Z̵̢͇̳̯̭͕̖̆̈͋̐̏͋̌̀̃͆̀͛͝e̸̦̤̺̭͙̭̤͋͌̊̉̄̎̃̍͐̑͛͝ļ̵̡̋ḧ̴̨̼͉̙͇͙̪̲͚͎͙̺́̎i̴̡̩̪̼̇̇̂́͌͗̈̉g̴̛̞̳̃̒̿̽̽̈̊̇̑̎͘̕ö̴̼͇̤͔̠̦͍̘̪̮̘̤̆̈̃̏ͅ ̸̢̛̖̮͙̩͚̱͉͛͊̿̊͐̈͆̀͋̋̑̃̓͜T̸̫͎̾h̴̥͉̰̎͑̃͗́̈̔͐̐̎̃̽̄͝͠e̴͙͈͔̬̞̤̪̯̥̣̲̗̊̍̄̌͋̉͒̿̕̚͠ ̶̧̨̧̪̘̤̞̥̣̦͖͕͇͓̍͆̇̃̿̓̃͆̎̾̈́͂̐́͊B̴̟̝̯̞͓͙͙̙̈̆̌͘r̵̜̦̘͔̖̮͂ͅǐ̴̧̛̛͖̫̲̞̫͔̖͖͉͈͌̈̊̒̆͊͘͠ņ̵̨͍͉͎̖͈͙̊̑̑͗͊̀͒͒͊͗͋͘g̸̩̹̘̣̮̫̱̩̰̯̯͉̭͎̔̌̇̃́̌͒͌͋̐̎͝ě̵̡̗̫̜̤̗̜̎͜ͅr̸͇̮͉̜̥̼͑̿͊̈͝ ̷͙͕̣͇̣̤̄̒̚̚͘ô̸̰̇̉̀̒̕̚͠f̶̗̖̞̪̥̙̯͓͂͊ ̸̢̢̪̭͍̺̿̍̐̾̏̎͐̄͗̄̆͘̚Ḍ̵̡̱͔̭̜͉̊̏̅̅̉͜͝͝e̷̛͖̤̬̖̮̥̟̣̫̐̔͊̓̇̐̇̇̔͆̽͌̏a̶̢̜̪̞͔̪̝̔̉͊̉̎̏́͆͋͠ṭ̴͙̦̘̼̹͓̦̻͍̼͓̬̾̈̏̆̉̍̆̚͝h̷͎͚̞̩̲͇̮͗̓̒͗̽̈́̏͆͆͒̈́̉̆̚
Or Jeongguk. The demon.
Just wondering if you’ve got my last 342 texts?
Let me know <3
The ones at 2 AM are the most chaotic.
from: 666
IF YOU DON’T REPLY RIGHT NOW I WILL DESTROY THIS FUCKING PLANET
I WILL PUNT THIS LITTLE ROCK LIKE A FUCKING FOOTBALL.
RIGHT INTO A BLACK HOLE.
I WILL KILL THIS PLANET AND THEN KILL MYSELF.
ANSWER. ME. NOW.
KIM TAEHYUNG.
Give it an hour.
from: 666
Hey Taehyung, it’s me...
Jeongguk
My cousin took my phone and sent all those weird texts lol
I obviously wouldnt say that stuff.
Really sorry about that. You can just go ahead and ignore them.
Delete them if possible. please.
Yeah. Have a great day
It’s Jeongguk btw.
It’s pretty ridiculous how endeared he still finds the demon, even when he’s having one of his moods. But he reminds himself that Jeongguk was a lot of work and didn’t want to put the work into possibly advancing their relationship, clearly. He fucked him around. He shouldn’t be thinking fondly of him.
So he forces himself to push the image of Jeongguk out of his head and throws himself into conversation with any person he can.
Though, apparently, that’s not in the cards for him.
Soon enough, people’s eyes are drawn across the room, whispering amongst themselves and Taehyung just knows without needing to look. When he turns around, he’s not surprised to see Jeongguk strolling in like some model stepping off the catwalk. No one else could wear clothes that tacky and pull it off. He’s not in an obvious costume like everyone else, but Jeongguk wearing his human skin is a costume.
It’s not fair that he just gets to look like that whenever he wants. But seeing him again like that, it makes annoying butterflies erupt in Taehyung’s belly.
Demon is just pretty, okay?
Taehyung’s seen it a million times before. How Jeongguk gets all the attention of the room he walks into. Tonight is no different, people wanting to flock to his unnatural beauty and aura. But Jeongguk’s got his dark eyes locked on Taehyung and he wishes that look didn’t still make his toes curl.
Wishes.
Jeongguk doesn’t stop until Taehyung’s forced to take a step back and he’s herded right back into a wall. Bracing his arm above Taehyung’s head, Jeongguk inhales deeply and looks him over from head to toe in a way that makes Taehyung feel hot all over. “Happy Halloween, little one.”
Taehyung swallows, ears burning. “What are you playing at?” he hisses quietly. “ Why are you here.”
No. Do not get distracted.
“Why are you here,” Jeongguk asks right back, raising an eyebrow.
“I was invited. Unlike you.” Taehyung briefly looks around and sees they’ve definitely got some curious eyes on them, as to be expected. “Leave, Jeongguk.”
“Sure. If you leave with me.” Jeongguk lifts his other hand to gently run his fingers over Taehyung’s blazer. “You look cute. Sexy little schoolboy?”
“No,” Taehyung grunts, folding his arms over his chest. “I’m Number Five.”
“Number Five?”
“Yes. From Umbrella Academy.”
“Never heard of it,” Jeongguk sighs, sliding his hand inside Taehyung’s blazer to curl his hand around his waist over his sweater vest. “I’m just gonna stick with sexy schoolboy.”
Taehyung’s eyes narrow. “You shouldn’t touch what you can’t afford, you know.”
Jeongguk’s eyes snap up from where they were clearly ogling Taehyung’s bare legs in his shorts. “Oh? I can’t afford you?”
Taehyung shakes his head. “Nope. Too expensive for you.”
Jeongguk tongues at a fang and Taehyung’s eyes follow the movement.
He can hear the little whispers around them grow louder and it pulls Taehyung back down to Earth. It’s crazy how easily Jeongguk can suck him into one of his little games. “You’re causing a scene.”
“Nothing new.”
Lifting a hand, Taehyung presses his palm against Jeongguk’s chest and he touches bare skin where his shirt is buttoned loosely, skin unnaturally warm in a way Taehyung’s always loved.
His hot water bottle that never cools, that’s what Taehyung used to call him.
Stop it.
“Leave.”
“Not without you.”
Taehyung feels his eye twitch as he curls his hand around the fabric of Jeongguk’s flimsy shirt. “Fine. Let’s go somewhere, then,” he grits out.
With a devilish quirk of Jeongguk’s lips, the next moment the scene of the party switches to something a little darker. “How’s this?”
Taehyung frowns at just how poorly lit the room is. “Lights?”
Jeongguk snaps his fingers and a light behind his head flickers on.
Peeking around Jeongguk’s shoulder, Taehyung eyes the surroundings and immediately goes deadpan when he sees the big bed in the otherwise dark room, a sultry light glaring down on it. The sheets are dark red and satin and Taehyung doesn’t miss the handcuffs around the bed frame.
“You kinky fucker,” Taehyung scolds. “No chance. Somewhere else.”
“The bed is very comfortable.”
“Oh yeah? You bring all your conquests here?” Taehyung shoots back, tight.
Jeongguk loses his smirk.
“Somewhere else,” Taehyung repeats.
With an irritated sigh, the background shifts again and Jeongguk is no longer in front of him, but beside him. It takes him a moment to realise where they are, but the pastor relinquishing their sins is a bit of a giveaway.
“What the—”
“Language,” Jeongguk chastises him. “We’re in a place of worship.”
“I can see that,” Taehyung whispers, looking around. “Why haven’t you gone up in flames?”
Jeongguk scoffs, crossing his legs. “I once sneezed in front of a priest and he blessed me.” He turns and looks at Taehyung. “That was a joke.”
Taehyung blinks at him before facing forward with a sniff, folding his hands on his lap. “Delivery could have been better.”
“Tough crowd,” Jeongguk tuts, also facing forward.
“Heathen!” the pastor suddenly yells, pointing in their direction. “I banish the!”
“Probably not the best place for a chat,” Jeongguk mumbles and gives a little wave of his fingers to the charging pastor, armed with a cross, before the background changes again.
Taehyung blinks up at the bright lights of the Eiffel Tower, a little in awe. He wordlessly looks at Jeongguk.
“Satisfied?” Jeongguk grumbles, walking away from him but Taehyung looks back up at the tower. He’s always wanted to go to Paris, always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower lit up like this.
The timing for it is weird, but he’ll take it. Taehyung pulls out his phone.
“Taehyung.” Jeongguk calls, a few feet away. “You’re meant to follow after me!” he whines.
“Yeah, hold on,” Taehyung calls, distracted. He takes picture after picture, trying out all the different modes, just to be safe.
“Taehyung!” Jeongguk gives a good stomp of his feet and Taehyung wobbles on the spot.
“Sorry, yeah, I’m coming.” Satisfied, Taehyung pockets his phone and jogs to catch up to Jeongguk before coming to an abrupt stop. “Wait, why am I even following you?” he scoffs. “What are we even doing right now?!”
“We went somewhere to talk.”
Frowning, Taehyung curls his hands into fists at his sides. “About what? I already told you we have nothing left to talk about.”
“We absolutely do,” Jeongguk argues vehemently, marching his way back to him.
“Yeah? And what’s that?” Taehyung demands. “You wanna try and pin the blame on me some more?”
“Taehyung.”
“Ooh, maybe you want to discuss some more about how I was coming on too strong and—”
“Taehyung,” Jeongguk snarls, suddenly back in Taehyung’s face, arm curling tight around his waist. “Why are you being so fucking difficult about this?”
“Difficult is my middle name, clearly. Yours is self-entitled-prick,” Taehyung snaps back, grabbing roughly at Jeongguk’s shoulders.
Jeongguk’s other hand grips suddenly at Taehyung’s jaw, squeezing his cheeks together with a nasty grimace. “Always have an answer for everything, don’t you?” he hisses low. “Such a smart mouth.”
In turn, Taehyung’s hand clamps around the back of Jeongguk’s neck, fingers digging in harshly. “Not my fault you’re so fucking slow.”
“I can’t stand your guts sometimes,” Jeongguk growls out, thumb pressing into his chin.
“Yeah, well, I hate your face,” Taehyung retorts, fingers climbing to grip the back of Jeongguk’s hair.
They stand embracing like that, in the most romantic city on Earth, under one of the most beautiful things a person can witness… clawing at each other, looking more like a pair of comic book villains in their outfits than star crossed lovers.
“Fuck you,” Jeongguk grits out between his teeth.
Taehyung’s fingers twitch, teeth bared and voice low. “Yeah.” He licks his lips. “Fuck me.”
Tension cracks between them like thunder and Taehyung is soon licking into Jeongguk’s mouth and clutching at him desperately, dragging him impossibly closer. Jeongguk tastes as good as he remembers, like dark chocolate - that perfect balance of bitter and sweet.
Temptation.
Taehyung’s fingers thread through Jeongguk’s hair as Jeongguk’s hands grip at his back, and he swallows the delicious little moan Jeongguk exhales into his mouth. He can already feel himself getting hard, the blood rushing to his cock quick enough to leave him feeling dizzy. It’s always like that with Jeongguk, though, like his body can’t resist him. His body knows him.
Their kiss is messy and rough, desperation pulsing behind Taehyung’s teeth like a cloudburst. He doesn’t even realise they’re no longer in Paris until Taehyung smells his sweetpea diffuser, eye cracking open to see the outline of his apartment.
Jeongguk shoves him into the kitchen and lifts him onto the counter without breaking the kiss. “You feel so good,” he whispers into Taehyung’s mouth, shoving at his blazer to push it off.
Rolling his shoulders back to aid Jeongguk, Taehyung realises that Jeongguk feels good, too. Not that he didn’t always know that, but it’s like taking your shoes off after a long day. Like putting on that disgustingly slouchy shirt that’s worn with holes.
It’s. Comfortable.
Jeongguk’s comfortable.
It’s that thought that has Taehyung reaching down to stop Jeongguk from grabbing at his cock through his shorts.
“What?” Jeongguk asks, staring up at him. “As cute as you look, baby, I gotta take them off.”
“No.” Taehyung shoves at Jeongguk and he’s clearly not expecting it, because he stumbles. “No, I can’t do this.” He shakes his head as he hops off the counter, running his fingers over his tingling lips.
“Why not? Little one…” Jeongguk reaches for him but Taehyung holds up his hand, not wanting to hear it.
His heart is absolutely pounding. “Stop. We’re not doing this. Because if we do this, then…” Taehyung trails off, rubbing at his chest where his heart is pounding.
“Then what, Taehyung? I’m getting pretty tired of you not giving me a good reason why we can’t go back to how it was, I don’t—”
“Because I don’t want to go back to how it was!” bursts from Taehyung, wide eyes on Jeongguk. “Okay? I can’t go back to that. Because, I. I liked you too much for what we were,” he finally confesses. “I was getting too invested. You’re right. I was…” He crosses his arms over his chest, feeling vulnerable. Tonguing at his lip, he avoids Jeongguk’s gaze. “I was falling for you, alright?” It comes out nothing above a whisper, but he knows Jeongguk hears him.
“You...”
“So yeah, maybe you’re right. Maybe I did ruin it,” Taehyung nods, rocking from side to side. He feels the need to speak louder and louder as if he can drown himself out somehow. “And I’d ruin it again if we tried, so that’s why. We can’t be together.”
Jeongguk is very quiet, something very uncharacteristic of him and it makes Taehyung uncomfortable. “You had feelings for me?”
Have.
God, it’s have, isn’t it?
“Yep.” Taehyung looks everywhere that Jeongguk isn’t. “So let’s just move on now. It’s all out in the open.” He tips back on his heels, fidgety. Confessions aren’t meant to be like this. In all the way he used to imagine telling Jeongguk how he felt about him, this was never a scenario.
The silence is really pulling teeth.
“If you’re not gonna say anything, you should just go,” Taehyung finally snaps, looking at Jeongguk. “Let’s be done with this.”
Jeongguk continues to just stare at him for a long moment before his eyes drop to somewhere on Taehyung’s chest. He gives a short nod and he disappears in a wisp of black smoke.
Even once he’s gone, Taehyung still stares at where Jeongguk stood. He doesn’t know if he actually thought Jeongguk would leave.
But he guesses that answers that. They can really move on now.
Yeah.
Good.
Great.
Leaning back against his counter, Taehyung exhales sharply, heavy head hanging forward to stare at the bulge of his dick in his shorts.
This may be the saddest erection he’s ever had.
-- -- --
Jeongguk stays clear of Earth. He remains down in Hell, mostly keeping to himself. He does some work, but mainly everything is done through Hellfone - Lucifer really thought the pun was worth the copyright.
He tries not to, but he can’t stop thinking about Taehyung. About what he said in his kitchen.
Taehyung really had feelings for him? For him?
The more he tries to process it, the more he thinks himself in circles. How could someone like Taehyung like someone like him? Not in the oh woe is me kind of way, but in the real I’m a literal demon kind of way.
Maybe a little woe because Taehyung is… well, he’s Taehyung. He’s perfect and beautiful and ambitious and outgoing. He’s feisty and speaks his mind. He’s wonderful and beautiful and pretty and beautiful and perfect…
“Just how beautiful is he? ” Jimin asks, once again cutting into his thoughts.
Jeongguk frowns, sitting up in his chair. “What are you talking about? Why are you here.”
Jimin rolls his empty eyes. “I, too, work here.” In his normal form, he’s tall and towering, one of the biggest demons in their rank, so Jeongguk still doesn’t understand why he picks the human form he does.
But who’s he to judge.
“You were repeating the word beautiful out loud,” Jimin tells him. “So obviously you’re still thinking about Taehyung. I don’t know why you just don’t go and talk to him?”
“Because.” Jeongguk plays with the Hellhound bobblehead on his desk. “It would make things complicated. It’s like he said, it’s better if we just move on now.”
“But is that what you really want? Is that what he really wants?”
Jeongguk’s claw catches on the bobblehead and his gaze drifts over to a framed picture of him and Taehyung from a few months back, Taehyung curled up on Jeongguk’s head, using his large horns like an uncomfortable hammock.
“You should ask yourself why you got so freaked out in the first place when Taehyung cleared you a drawer.”
Jeongguk scowls, gaze flicking up from the picture to his friend slash colleague. “When the fuck did you get so deep?”
“I’ve been watching a lot of Dr. Phil lately,” Jimin sighs, checking his claws. “It’s a personal torture for this one guy - don’t ask.”
Deep down, he thinks he knows why he panicked when Taehyung showed him the drawer he cleared out for him. It was used as a tie drawer and Taehyung has lots of variants of ties, so he knew it was a big deal.
He’d felt… anxious. Maybe Taehyung thought he was a better demon than he actually is. But he also just clenched up at the idea of committing himself to someone. That’s not something he does. That any demon does.
And maybe it scared him how much he didn’t hate the idea.
“Jesus Christ, I’m still here, you know,” Jimin cuts in. “While you’re having your internal monologue, some of us actually have things to do. Give me my next case.”
“Sorry,” Jeongguk grumbles, sliding over the brown paper file.
Taking it with a sigh, Jimin tucks it under his arm. “Just go for it, Jeongguk. He likes you and you like him. Sometimes it really is just that simple.”
“But.” Jeongguk swallows. “I’m me and he’s him.”
“Yep. And I’m me and this guy was a chronic bedwetter,” Jimin adds, tapping on the file with a long claw. “These are all just facts. At this rate, you’ve got nothing left to lose. That’s all I’m saying.”
Jimin leaves him with that and Jeongguk makes a note to hop into the torture chamber to catch an episode of Dr. Phil when he gets the chance.
-- -- --
Taehyung’s finally painting the wall behind his fridge. He’s surprised by just how bittersweet it feels, covering up all the marks left by Jeongguk. Each mark had its own memory. A lot of the time it was just Jeongguk leaning against it or maybe shoving it in anger or even holding Taehyung up against it and fucking him.
It’s good to start fresh.
This is a new chapter in his life, a new—
“Hey.”
Taehyung startles, dropping the paint roller with a yelp. He spins around and stares wide-eyed at Jeongguk, looking rather sheepish. “What—”
“I know you told me to leave and not come back,” Jeongguk cuts over him. “But.”
Taehyung goes to protest but Jeongguk shakes his head.
“Just be quiet for once in your life, Taehyung. I’m about to confess.”
Taehyung’s eyebrows shoot up into his hairline, heart suddenly sprinting against his chest.
Wait a minute.
“I believe I too… have feelings for you,” Jeongguk mumbles and it looks so rehearsed that it’s actually a little endearing. “Ever since I was a young spawn—“
“Jeongguk.” Taehyung chews on his lip, impatient. “This isn’t a trick is it?”
“No.”
“Get to the confessing part.”
“Right. Yes.” Jeongguk clears his throat, checking his hand, which Taehyung can see has red notes scribbled over his palm. “Feelings are a funny thing. Shakespeare once said—“
“Jeongguk,” Taehyung cuts in again, breath shaking. He is very much endeared, but he needs to hear the good bit before he gets his hopes up. This sounds too good to be true.
Exhaling sharply, Jeongguk drops his arm and takes a step closer. “Taehyung, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for how things happened. I treated you badly towards the end because I was scared. You didn’t deserve that.”
“Why were you scared?” Taehyung folds his arms over his chest, protective but listening.
“Because I think it was the first time I was really forced to address the way I felt about you. And what I found out scared the shit out of me. I didn’t even think I was capable of being liked, let alone liking someone else,” Jeongguk scoffs.
Taehyung shifts his weight. “So… what are you saying now?”
Jeongguk takes another step closer, curling his hands around Taehyung’s arms. “I’m saying I liked you too. I still like you. And, I don’t know what the fuck that even means, but. I’m willing to find out,” he says soft and almost bashful. “If you want to too, obviously.”
Does he want to?
Ugh, there doesn’t even need to be a conversation for this. He knows he does. Jeongguk pisses him off and has him painting his walls and ceiling constantly and reinforcing his mattress, but. They’re some of the things he likes about him. He’s also gentle and kind and always listens to Taehyung and engages with him.
Taking that step together will absolutely mean a long, winding road of Who The Fuck Knows What. It won’t be an easy thing to try and make work for obvious reasons, but…
“But?” Jeongguk answers, clearly listening in, his face pinched and anxious.
Taehyung gives a little smile. “But I wanna find out, too.”
Jeongguk breaks out into a wide grin and crushes Taehyung close, swallowing him up in his arms. “You mean it? You wanna give my annoying ass a chance?”
“Yeah,” Taehyung muffles into his shoulder. Jeongguk’s growing in size like he always does when he gets overwhelmed. “I guess I do. Only if you wanna give my smart mouth a chance.”
Jeongguk nuzzles Taehyung’s hair. “Should we sign a contract?” he jokes and looks down at Taehyung when he shoots a playful glare up at him.
“You already signed one,” Taehyung huffs, arms struggling to meet around Jeongguk’s waist.
Jeongguk raises an eyebrow.
“When you signed my petition.”
“You’re absolutely right.” Jeongguk tips Taehyung’s head back and bends low to kiss him softly. “Suppose we should christen this relationship like a proper contract, though. Make it official. For my sake.”
“You can’t christen anything,” Taehyung points out, hands sliding up the thick sides of Jeongguk’s neck.
“Oh. I can think of something, little one.” With a grin, Jeongguk scoops him up and carries him right over to the fridge and pushes him up against it, knocking it back against the wet paint and immediately denting it.
Well. Maybe he can keep a little of that old tradition in this new chapter.